successful and unsuccessful craft experiments

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Tis the season for emotional blackmail.

Firstly- I wish you all a whole bunch of festive cheer, I love Christmas time and usually it signals a time of year where I stick glitter and ribbon to anything or anyone who gives me even the slightest of smiles. However this year has been a little different as work has stepped up a notch, meaning all of my projectile sparkle application will be a little later in December.

Secondly- sorry for being rubbish and not updating in two months. I have still been crafting away on a number of projects, that are either very low key (repairs, ongoing knitting) or very super top secret (presents presents presents).

But anyway, here’s a festive entry to tide you over until I get my bleedin’ act together.

Every year my family has an event that has been very creatively named “Christmas Tree Weekend”. This is the weekend when we put up the Christmas tree and drink snowballs and dance around to the ‘Christmas with the Rat Pack’ CD.
Each year the attendees are invited to bring a new ornament to adorn the tree. Over the years this has become quite competitive. We take a vote and the winner is granted, pride, glory and gloating rights for the forthcoming year.
Many mighty contenders have fallen under the twinkle of our christmas tree lights.
Baubles have traveled from different continents, been stolen from their own trees and involved spectacular puns and still not won the coveted title.

My family has been blessed with the arrival of the little Clodagh, which we are all delighted about, it’s mega.
I, on the other hand was not so delighted that Clodagh’s arrival might jeopardise everything the Christmas tree ornament competition stands for, with one toothless smile and some adorable drooling.
I am very interested in Christmas and the Christmas Tree contest, but I am NOT interested in a beauty pageant where I am pitted against a baby far cuter than I.

I knew this year my entry had to be good, I knew I had to steamroll in with something sensational.
I searched my mind and I knew I had only one option, salt dough. I would make a miniature salt dough version of all of my family. Take that sweet little baby girl.
I knew that the grainy wibbly wonders that can be created with salt dough would clinch me the prize.

Salt dough is very very easy to make- hence why it is favoured by the under 10s everywhere. If me and the under 10s can master it, so can you.

The recipe is:
1 cup flour
1 cup table salt
1/2 cup water

just chuck this all in a bowl and mix until it is a mouldable dough and now you are ready to create your wildest salt dough dreams.

I chose to make flat ornaments, as sometimes making the dough stick to itself in 3D can be tricky and I couldn’t risk any mistakes in such a high profile project.
I used a skewer and knife to draw my little salt dough family and then chucked in the oven at 150c for 2 hours- or alternatively you can just leave out overnight to dry.

The most challenging task was painting my figures- I only had the limited palette of my nail varnish selection. Although the colour options were restricted this did save time as I didn’t have to varnish again at the end. Oh! and remember to make a hole for your ribbon to go through.

Needless to say my sentimental, saccharine, marvellous, affectionate, lovingly handmade ornaments absolutely destroyed the competition. My Mum had also just bought this hanging display contraption, so now it looks like all my family are being hung and are awaiting the lynch mob- christmasy.

However I do give an honourable mention to this vintage flirty santa- he look like he’s going to fill your stocking if you know what I mean.